1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an operation device, an operation method, and an image forming apparatus including an operation device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method for instruction of printing out on application software is (a) performing a print instruction while a file (data) is opened on the application software and subsequently opening a property of a printer, and (b) causing to perform an output process after an instruction of a print condition such as duplex printing, dual page printing, on/off of a staple process, number of printing copies, if necessary.
As mentioned, in general, when performing print instruction for a target file, the target file must be opened on application software. Therefore, since a target file must be opened on application software every time, operability is bad and it takes a lot of time for setting the print condition.
To solve such a problem, in a print operation system, on a display screen in which a print icon corresponding to a preset print condition and an icon of a file to be printed are displayed, dragging the file icon and dropping it onto the print icon causes to perform a print process for the file under the preset condition corresponding to the print icon. In this print operation system, this print icon is displayed on the display screen in a manner to enable a user to recognize the preset print condition corresponding to the print icon. It is described that therefore without opening a file on application software, a drag and drop operation can cause to perform printing under an often-used print condition.
An electrophotography image system includes an operation panel unit which acts as an operation interface part for inputting/outputting operation instruction for an operator; a panel control unit which controls the operation panel unit; and an external medium inputting/outputting unit which acts as an input/output interface for an external medium which stores layout information on a photo image, frame data in which layout information on a photo image, an attached image to be composed and arranged and layout information on the attached image, or a photo image. This electrophotography image system also includes an external medium control unit which controls the external medium inputting/outputting unit; and an image processing control unit which performs, in accordance with an operation instruction from the operation panel, image processing on the basis of a photo image in an external medium or frame data stored in an external medium or frame data stored in an internal ROM or frame data downloaded to an internal RAM. This electrophotography image system also includes an image printing unit which perform a print process of a processed image; a printing control unit which controls the image printing unit; an image displaying unit which performs a display process of the processed image; and a display control unit which controls the image display unit; and includes an attachment image file as a small-size part image, and plural pieces of the frame data shares and refers to the part image. It is described that therefore a data amount of the frame data is small and it is possible to provide an electrophotography image system including an interface with excellent operability.
Further, an image forming apparatus includes an image data inputting unit which inputs image data of an image to be formed; an image data storage unit which stores the image data; an image forming unit which forms an image on a paper sheet on the basis of the image data stored in the image data storage unit; a postprocessing unit which performs postprocessing for the paper sheet on which the image has been formed; and a postprocessing selecting unit which selects a type of postprocessing. This image forming apparatus also includes an image data reducing unit which converts the image data stored in the image data storage unit to image data with a reduced size; and a finish image displaying unit which edits the image data with the reduced size and displays a finish image which shows a status after postprocessing selected by the postprocessing selecting unit would be performed for a paper sheet on which an image has been formed on the basis of the image data with the reduced size. It is described that therefore it is possible to gain operability without wasting a paper sheet, toner and so forth due to an operation mistake or confirmation.
Furthermore, another image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording paper sheet on the basis of printing data and performs postprocessing for the recording paper sheet on which the image has been formed. This image forming apparatus includes a memory unit which stores plural pieces of postprocess image data which show expected finish images of a paper sheet after postprocessing for the paper sheet; and a setting unit which performs setting a postprocessing mode of the paper sheet and/or displaying a preview of the print data. The image forming apparatus also includes a control unit which reads out postprocess image data for the postprocessing mode set by the setting unit, combines the postprocess image data and print data based on the preview, and causes to display the combined image; and a display unit which displays as a preview the expected finish image which shows a postprocessed recording paper sheet, that is, generated as the combined image by the control unit. It is described that therefore it is possible to confirm a status of the postprocessed recording paper sheet before actual printing and to prevent a position of the postprocessing from being a wrong position different from a user's desired position.
Furthermore, a further other image forming apparatus includes an inputting unit which inputs image data of plural pages; a compressing unit which performs a compressing process of the image data inputted from the inputting unit; a storage unit which stores the image data; and a reducing unit which reduces the image data. This image forming apparatus also includes a storage control unit which stores image data of a predetermined page among the inputted plural pages in a non-compressed status into the storage unit and stores image data of the other pages in a compressed status into the storage unit; and a displaying unit which reads out the image data in non-compressed status stored in the storage unit, causes the reducing unit to reduce it and displays image of the reduced image data. It is described that therefore it is possible to immediately obtain an enlarged image corresponding to a reduced image in a displayed list without image quality deterioration.
Furthermore, an information processing apparatus performs setting on a display screen displayed by a display unit for a print function which prints print data with a printer machine. This information processing apparatus includes a first display control unit which displays a list of symbols indicating respective plural print functions in a first display area; a first selecting unit which selects a symbol in the list of the symbols displayed in the first display area; and a print function setting unit which performs setting for the plural print functions specified by the symbol selected by the first selecting unit. It is described that therefore it is possible to easily perform setting for the print functions of the printer machine when printing is performed with the printer machine on the basis of print data.
According to the aforementioned technique, when a user presses down a setting item key in a predetermined initial screen, a setting value input screen is displayed in which plural setting value keys of this setting item are displayed so as to enable them to be pressed down; when the user presses down the setting value key, a preview image corresponding to the change of the setting value is displayed in the initial screen; and the user somewhat recognizes effect of the setting value through the preview image.
However, for plural setting values of the setting item, the aforementioned technique is insufficient. For example, regarding a setting item for which only two setting values exist such as “duplex/single-sided printing” for which “duplex printing” and “single sided printing” exist, a user can easily recognize effect on a printed matter due to a predetermined setting value by performing one operation on the aforementioned setting value input screen. However, for example, regarding a setting item for which a lot of setting values exist such as “color setting” for which five setting values “full color”, “black”, “cyan”, “magenta”, and “yellow” exist, a user must repeatedly performs a key operation on the aforementioned setting value input screen in order to recognize effect on a printed matter due to respective these setting values.